Dos and don'ts for customer service: Improve patient satisfaction with patient feedback

Time and again, business leaders are surprised, even shocked, by what customer surveys reveal. Unless yours is a very large practice, you may not be able to justify paying for expert patient satisfaction studies, but there are other, inexpensive techniques you can use to get clear, actionable feedback from the ultimate experts -- your patients.

Use formal and informal patient surveys. There are two simple yet reliable ways to solicit feedback from your patients. The first is for your front desk coordinator to ask them at checkout. By asking, "How was your visit with us today?" and listening attentively to the answer, noting any specific comments (good or bad), and following up if need be, your staff can make a positive impression while gathering vital feedback.

The other, more formal approach is to create a brief survey patients can fill out before leaving, mail back, or complete online. By including space for specific comments and allowing for an anonymous response, this survey can yield valuable insights about how your patients think you're doing.

Don't assume you know better than patients. If you think you know how patients feel about your practice but don't actually ask them, you're asking for trouble. Something you've never noticed could be driving patients away. Other things you take for granted may delight them. There's only one way to find out. Ask them.

Roger P. Levin, DDS, is the founder and CEO of Levin Group, the leading dental practice consulting firm in North America. For the complete list of dates and locations where you can attend his latest seminar, visit www.levingroup.com/gpseminars.

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